The global array instruments market was valued at US$0.87 bn in 2014. It will soon reach an overall value of US$1.12 bn by 2020, growing at an estimated CAGR of 4.30% from 2014. The global array instruments market, by itself, stands as one of the spearheading sectors of devices and medical solutions that could usher in the next generation of tools for the healthcare industry to use.

What is commonly known as a biochip, is a DNA spot collective that is fixed on to a solid surface. The concept of a microarray was revealed by Tse Wen Chang in a 1983 scientific publication. The concept was soon materialized and thus began the microarray industry. The global microarray industry did not witness much growth until 1995, when a groundbreaking paper was published at the Stanford University by Ron Davis and Pat Brown Labs.

The function of this DNA chip is to extrapolate the expression levels of multiple genetic samples simultaneously. A typical microarray contains tens of thousands of probes on one surface and can therefore be used to perform multiple genetic tests in parallel. An alternative to flat surface chips are beads. Their DNA detection process is called expression analyzing, and is used to detect both DNA and RNA regardless of their translation into proteins. Some of the major techniques of today that make use of array instruments are genetic expression profiling, GeneID, comparative genomic hybridization, DamID, alternative splicing detection, cancer diagnostics, genomics, proteomics, agricultural biotech, and SNP detection.

The key reasoning behind the use of a microarray is time – having to create thousands of iterations of one test simultaneously can create a huge difference in the time taken to investigate the DNA samples given.

Where is the Global Array Instruments Market Headed?

The global array instruments market is currently experiencing a shift in focus. Its primary place of use till now was in R&D labs, but it is steadily moving towards a multitude of other utilities, such as sequencing, clinical diagnostics, and drug discoveries. The future of the global array instruments market will lie in its current fields as well as in drug response studies and disease diagnostics. These utilities are expected to boost the global array instruments market substantially. Other utilities that are currently being tried involve forensics, veterinary, biological warfare and defense, environmental sciences, and toxicogenomics.

How is the Global Array Instruments Market Getting There?

Simply enough, the microarrays industry is getting there the same way as other top-bracket industries have – through millions of dollars spent in research and development. For instance, North America is expected to up its spending on the global array instruments market to US$526.4 mn by 2020. Asia Pacific and Europe are expected to bring in quite a sea change in the global array instruments market by 2020 through major innovative capabilities.

The global array instruments market is also making forays into the fields of preventive and regenerative medicine, along with growing R&D conducted for various diseases that afflict the vital organs and the nervous system. Studies are also being conducted to research the use of glycan arrays. This shows that the global array instruments market is ready for the next generation of applications and has the strength to do so.